


Checkmate

by things_that_matter



Series: CMBYN: Life with Ollie [3]
Category: Call Me By Your Name (2017), Call Me By Your Name - All Media Types, Call Me by Your Name - André Aciman
Genre: Comfort, Domestic, Domestic Fluff, Family Feels, Intimacy, M/M, Punishment
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-11
Updated: 2021-01-11
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:54:23
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,291
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28692021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/things_that_matter/pseuds/things_that_matter
Summary: Elio is determined to teach Ollie how to play the piano, but Ollie has other gifts.
Relationships: Oliver/Elio Perlman
Series: CMBYN: Life with Ollie [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2094873
Comments: 1
Kudos: 22





	Checkmate

Oliver was sitting in his favorite chair near the window, trying to read a book. He was finding it difficult to concentrate because Elio was pacing back and forth, looking at his watch every few seconds. Elio's brow was deeply furrowed in annoyance. After taking another look at his watch, Elio paused in his pacing and sighed dramatically.

Oliver finally looked up from his book. "What's wrong, Elio?" he asked, though he already knew the answer.

"I'm waiting on Ollie, and he's purposefully dawdling," Elio complained. There was more frustration in his voice than Oliver typically ever heard.

"Did you set a time when he was supposed to come out?" Oliver asked. He thought if he had some background information, he would be able to help.

Elio looked up from his watch and locked eyes with Oliver. Oliver could feel that Elio was trying to determine his intentions. Finally, with an edge to his voice, he answered him, "No, I didn't  _ set a time _ when he was supposed to come out, but I told him I would be waiting on him. So it was implied."

Oliver was not sure if Elio was actually in a frame of mind conducive to teaching Ollie his first piano lesson, but he put that thought aside. "Do you want me to go encourage him to hurry?"

Again, Elio offered a look that to Oliver felt like a scan of his intentions.

"Elio... I'm on your side," Oliver said plainly. Though honestly, he wasn't on anyone's side in this. If Ollie didn't want to learn to play, Oliver didn't consider it an essential skill for a seven-year-old. It's not as if the child didn't want to learn to read or do math. But, it was apparently very important to Elio, so he tried to make it a priority to himself as well.

Elio looked back at his watch and continued pacing without responding. Oliver saw his angry gaze oscillate between his watch and the hallway leading to Ollie's room. Finally, Oliver put his book down. He walked over to Elio, taking both of his hands in his. He had learned not to say things such as, "Take a deep breath" when Elio was upset like this. Elio considered this condescending, though Oliver still didn't understand why. So, instead, Oliver took a deep breath himself, and as he had hoped, Elio followed his lead.

Now that Oliver stood so close to Elio, holding his hands, seeing his face, Oliver realized for the first time how genuinely upset Elio was. "I'm going to go hurry him along," Oliver decided, and then offered Elio an encouraging nod. Elio nodded in return, but the frustration was still present on his face.

Ollie was laying on his bed, still in his pajamas, playing with some action figure he'd recently bought with his allowance. "Ollie, did you not hear Elio tell you that he was waiting for you?" he asked.

Ollie sat up, still holding Thor. "I heard him," he grumbled without looking at Oliver.

This irritated Oliver. He didn't care about piano lessons, but he did care about Ollie doing what he was told. He folded his arms in front of his chest, "Then you need to get out there, Ollie."

Ollie tossed himself lightly backward, so that he was lying on his back. He strengthened his grip on Thor. "I don't want to play the stupid piano," he whined.

Oliver knew that they would have to investigate what was really going on here, but in the moment he simply said, "You are about to get yourself in trouble, Ollie. And, this is a pretty silly reason to get in trouble if you ask me."

"Elio is not a good teacher!" Ollie grumbled.

Oliver felt immediately defensive, "Elio is an excellent teacher. Teaching piano lessons is literally his job." After a long moment in which Ollie made no effort to move, he added firmly, "Don't make me tell you again."

"Fine," Ollie muttered, tossing Thor onto the floor as he got up and stomped across the room.

Since Oliver was standing in the doorway, this meant that Ollie had to pass by him. As he did, Oliver lightly grasped his arm, making unwavering eye contact with him. "Lose the attitude," he said in the calm, cool voice he reserved for final warnings.

Ollie recognized the tone, and really tried to shift his face into neutral, but it was hard. He looked almost as if he were in pain. Oliver groaned inwardly, but he appreciated the effort and patted his head as they both headed toward the den where Elio still paced. Oliver wished he had a private moment to tell Elio, too, to cool it, but he didn't. He decided he'd better stay nearby though. Normally, listening to a kid taking their first piano lesson would not be on his list of top ten pleasures. In fact, he didn't think it would make the top 100. But, he sensed that his presence was needed.

When Elio saw Ollie walk in, still in his pajamas and bare feet, he seethed. What had he been doing all this time? "Sit down," he grumbled, sitting down in front of the piano himself.

With two sets of eyes on him, Ollie had no choice but to sit down and start behaving himself. Elio had informally taught him the notes of the treble clef, FACE, EGBDF. Today, he began by teaching Ollie about whole notes, half notes, and quarter notes. Ollie actually enjoyed learning this. He looked up at Elio with the most serious look on his little face. "This is math," he remarked with amazement apparent in his voice.

This made Elio smile. He knew that math was Ollie's favorite subject. Understanding that music and math are closely related in many ways, Elio knew he now had a way to capture his brother's interest. Soon, the thirty minute lesson had stretched to 45 and Ollie was able to play a simple song. Later that afternoon, while Elio was out running errands, Oliver decided it was a good time to try to uncover the reason why Ollie had been so opposed to the lesson.

To keep the mood light, Oliver challenged Ollie to a game of chess. He had only started teaching the boy the game a few days ago, but he had taken to it quickly. Ollie was thrilled with the idea of a chess game, and immediately ran to set up the board.

As they played, when Oliver felt the time was right, he asked Ollie what he'd been wanting to ask since this morning, "So, Ollie, why didn't you want to take a piano lesson with Elio this morning?"

Ollie made his next move, and didn't look up from the board. He answered though, "Elio plays better than me."

His answer surprised Oliver. "Well Ollie, of course he plays better than you. He has been playing the piano for almost 20 years. You have been playing for one day," he explained as if this was the most obvious statement in the world. 

"But I want to play better than him," Ollie explained as if this was the most obvious statement in the world.

Child logic... Oliver slowly reached a hand up, pressing three of his fingers against his forehead in a small circular motion that he had learned often alleviated a forming headache. He recognized the look on Ollie's face. It was the look that he made when he was completely set in a way of thinking that he would not be able to be moved away from at the moment.

"Well, give it a few years, Ollie, and see what happens," was all he could think of to say.

"Checkmate," Ollie replied.

**Author's Note:**

> I have a lot more stories to post, but I also love reading! If you've read a few of my stories, maybe you can recommend some to me? Any fandom is fine. I'm more into books/manga than movies/TV but that's not a deal breaker.


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